Process of coking coal.



S. B. SHBLDON.

PROCESS 0F CQKNG COAL. A'PPLIGANON rlLnp 00T. 2a, 1907.

Patented Mar. 29, 1910.

SIB. SHBLD'ON.

PROCESS 0F COKING G0! L. ,I

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 28 190.

95 3, 35 l Patented Mar. 29, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

f Y juiefilbf Zwuee-WeZcZU/P P0760 @ff/wrijf Sel PRCCESS OI CCIKING COAL.

Application'led ctoeer 23. 1907.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Pie il known l'hal l', AlirUnL BERTRAM .rniziioox :i ciiizen of (he VUnited Shares. and a resident el" liuli'alo(` in the couniy of Erie Specification of Letters Patent.

ger. each g dra Wn7 and Pirate of New York, have invented cerrain new and useful lniprovemenls in Proeessee ol` Coliing Coal; and l do clare that the following is a full, exact ilesrripiion thereof,reference heilig hail to the accompanying drawings, and to The characters of refereiuae marked thereon,

l the nielal walls of lhe i or time sniicienl: to

which Jorma Dart of this Specification.

4 n -L l lhis` invention relates lo nnprovcmenis in the art of distilling coal for lhe manu'ac g oi eolie in the4 iure of eolie and lhe prorlnerion or' gas and more espeeially io improvements inetlnul of ell'ecl'ing' die eolring or distillation o1" coal and at the same time, saving the gases produced in the oi 'forth in Leilers Patent No. frranled io me May 28th. 1907.

The proceseJ ser forth in my eaid prior paleoi No. 8553059 ernlnaees generally the sieps of applying` pressure to one end of a mens olE coal to cinnpress the coal and to advance lhe mass horizr-intally toward and into a wiringreorf; or oven, applying heat to J[he 5 its movement toward rhe retort massy hiring or oven and apl'ilving' coking heat to the pei-lion of die maSs within the retort or oren.

Vl`he apparatus illnstraled the process therein set forth,.e1r races a nlcal passage which is coiineeled '..f'ilh lhe lrvsli charges of coal, the sulierieial coling';

ol the compressed charges and the sub-"e quent appliealion of pressure to advance the herelriy declear`r and ieraionv` 'which is` hrongli said passage :nifl

l l l iiallj,Y cokei'l in my saldi prior pal'cn o. 855,069, for carrying out r supereiallr eolieil charges inward and inio j sure required for advancingbolli (The mass i i i l l i i saire; hy lhc aerien' of a reciprocating)l plnnl bafenied Mar. 25h 15H15. semi noA 39m/4e #Said plunger, after the completion of advance movement flier-cof, is wirhand the space in freni4 of i filled with a fresh charge of coal. The plunger then advanced suli'icienily (o con'ipress l'lie coal into a compaet'inass in contact with the prece'` hng' charge and ille .slide walls of -ilie pre-colriiig passage. )lo -lenrl'her forward movement el lhe plunger then takes place nnril the charge so compressed has been sul.) jecred le colring heat, transmitted Jthrough passage, for a lengl'h secure 'the formation thereon of an exlejnal or superficial leyer .drong enough to preveni` rnpiure or (,-rumliling` of the mans under the pressure required lio effect the advance morernenf"y olt the entire mass of partly colied coal and eolie conlained .in the pri-x-colring furnace info the coliing oven. After such :superficial cokine' has heen eeeted he plunger is hen given a furl-her advance movemenr toiferce the new charge of supericially colrerl coal. and il Alfx previousl",y introduced charges in advance olf it forwardl)Y througl'i the said passage into ihe eoking' oven. The performance of the process in this manner is found io be highly ad fantageons ior the reason ihat pressure for advaneing the entire. mass of the parand eolred coal in thepre-eeking chamber and oven is applied to he freshly introduced charge, and if pressure suliicient to so advance the eniire mass `were applied to a fresh charge of leone er entirely uncoked coal, laleral or outward pressure would he exerted by lhe same on the Walls of the passaicre, in a manner i'o prevent any advance movement' of the uniss under the degree of pressure that it would be ordinarilliv praclicahie lio apply. "When, however, the fresh charge or' coal is, while held in a compiler mass, superficiallyl eolie-d before pressure" is applied for advancing it through or along the passage, the surrounding layer of coke on the mass serves io give the saine capacityl lo resi t crushing strain and suilieient rigidi@7 wilisliand the presin the precoking passage and the material in the eolringr oven or chamber.

AS a still further improvement upon irhe process sgr forth in my saicl prior parent, I sniff-zel'. 'lfhe charges of fresh coal, before the same are subjected to the preeoliing operaion preo'er7 to a preliminary heating by the.

.the coal will remain in a condition to liow tained while being compressed and superther improvement in the process set forth in section, taken vertically through the coking 'of our ovens, on line .l-Q of Fig. l. Fig. 3

.on line. 4&4: of Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a detail,

f panying drawings is provided with a series 'charge end. The drawings (Figs. 2, 3 and into, or to be readily delivered to, the precokmg passage in which the coal is concially coked. The coal thus subjected to a preliminary heating by the application of non-coking heat, will be heated to such ea:- tent that it may be quickly raised to the higher temperature required for the superticial coking thereof, with consequent savin of time in the precokine operation.

ly invention also includes as a still furmy said prior patent, the withdrawal directly from the precoking passage of gases generated in the partial or superficial coking which results from the precoking operation.

in apparatus ydevised by me tor carrying out myv present invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, Ain which,-

Figure l is a view in vertical longitudinal chamber and precoking passage et an apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section, taken through the snpply bins and receiving chambers o 'f a series is a transverse section taken through the preeoking passage and the passage connect.- ing the jacket of said precoking passage with the jacket of the supply bin, taken on line or Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a like transverse section taken through the yprecoking passages and the passage leading from the top ot' the same to the collecting main', taken horizontal crossssection taken on line 5 5 of' Fig. Q. Figs. 6 and 7 are sectional views ot'- the precoking passage showing the operation of the plunger and the manner in which the layer of coke is formed on the mass ot coal in the said passage.

The coking oven illustrated in the accomof longitudinal, parallel, coking chambers arranged side by side, as common in the construction of Otto Holtmann ovens. Only one of said coking chambers is illustrated in the drawings (Fig. l) and is there indicated p by l. llachf coking chamber is equipped with coal feeding, compressing and /precolr-v ing devices at the receiving end there-ot and with a delivery device at its exit 0r dissists of a p i) show in cross-section the coal feeding, compressing and precoking devices associated with four coking chambers arranged side by side, as common in the construction oi Otto Heitmann and like ovens.

The coking' chamber .1, as illustrated, is

'continuous and of uniform internal dimension from its receiving to its discharge end and is -like those illustrated in applicants priorpatent No. 845,614.2; each oven consisting in effect of two sections arranged end to end, each of which is provided with heating means, separate from the heating means of the other section, so that the.'temperature maintained in the two sections may be independently or separately controlled. Each section of the oven therefore corresponds with a complete tto liotrnannv7 ven; the two sections `together constituting tvvo complete Otto Holtmann l ovens, placed end to end with their coking chambers joined to form in eiiect one continuous' coking chamber.

1t is not deemed necessary to illustrate in the accompanying drawings the means for heating the two sections of the colring chamber, as said heating means may be like those illustrated in said prior patent, or may be otherwise constructed as may be desired or preferred.

Now referring to the coal feeding, coin-2 pressing and precoking devices at the re-y ceiving end of the oven, these parts embrace features of construction as follows: I

2 indicates a coal receiving chamber and. a precoking passage which orrns a continu# ation of the receiving chamber and is connected at its discharge end with the eokinn chamber. The coal receiving chamber 2 and the precoking passage 3 are made of metal and form a continuous passage Within which the coal is compressed and supercially coked,

-and through which it is advanced by the devices hereinatter described. The bottom wall of the precoking passage is'ona level with' the bottom oi the col/:ing chamber, while its side walls are parallelwith each other and located at a distance apart somewhat less than the distance between the side walls of the coking chamber, so as to-ieav'e clearance spaces at, the sides of the mass of supericially coked coal advanced from the said precoking passage into the chamber. The op wall of the precoking passage is located somewhat below the level of the top ,/wall of the coking chamber so as to ive;` clearance space at the top ot said cham r;

At the top of the receiving chamber 2 is lof' cated an inlet-or feed passage 5 andtheseveral 'feed passages associated with thetour adjacent precoking passages' are con- :cted by means of radially'arranged, inclined tubes G, 6, 6 (Fig. 2.) with thelower end of a supply bin which, shown, con? uralty of sections or compartlos ric

irs

t stituting sait?l compartments 'l'. are sepai the plunger 13 may be of any desired forni 'the Walls ot' the bin compartments linallj.7

ments T, '7. 'I arranged vertically and parallelg with each other and of which three arei shown in the drawings. Each of said Sections or compartments,consists ot an upright, rei'ctangular tube open at its bottoni and communicating with the upper ends o't`,` the several passages G. G, 6. The tubes con rated troni each other by spaces and. the several tubes are surrounded by an inclosingr, Wall or 'jacket 8 forming 1around the said several compartments. a spaceai'hichv is in. communication With the spaces between the 1 said ctunpartnients, The casingr 8 extends .at its upper end above the several comparte: ments 7, 7 and terminates in an exit tlue ot stack 9. .it the top ot' each receiving' chainbcr is a horizontally sliding valve or gate 10 vt'or closing the low ,r end of the feed pase sage 5. Fordeiiyering coal to the upper; ends. of the several bin compartments l. 7, i T a feed hopper 11 is prm'ided. the saine.` hai-ingr an inclined spout 1Q which extends downwardly from the lower end of saidi feed hopper through the jacket. or casing 8, and in communication at itsI lower end l with the upper ends of the said bin compartl ments. The side and bottom Walls of said receiving chamber Q of the said precoking l passage are parallel with each other and in l said receiving; chamber is located a horizonl tally reciprocating plunger 13 which tits and slides in contact with the sides, top and bottom walls of said passage. Power actuated g means for giving reciprocatory motion to or construction. and are not illustrated in the drawings.

The precoliing chaniber or passage 3 is surrounded by a wall or jacket; 14, 'forming a combustion chai'nber or space 1,5, to which is supplied an adlni'xture of vapor or gas and air and in which said adniixture is burned for the purpose oit heating the metal walls oi the said passage. Said combustion chainber is pitovided at its top with exit tubes -or pipes 16,116 for the exit therefrom ot prodicts ot combustion. Fuel ras may be supplied todhe bottom of-saio chainberifl by means of a fuel supply pipe 17.*"

The exit pipes 16, t, associated with each precolriug passage, discharge into a hood 20. rihe several hoodsare extended upwardly to and connected with a common transverse iue 21 Whichis connected by a pipe Q2 with the. jacket 6 whichl surrounds the bin coinpartinents 7'.- Saidi 22 discharges .into the louer part of the space which surrounds said compartments. The heated products of combustion passing from the top of the Cornhustion chamber 15 after circulatingarouml risc to and are discharglyed from the stack 9 at the top of the casing- 8. In the construction described 1t Will be manifest that coal compartments 7, i", 7 subjected lo a noncolring heat by which the said coal is pre lnninarily heated to such a degree that tuo particles vof coal will not become softened si" adhere to cach other.. so that the coal 'will remain in condition to tiow by gravity from the said bin compartments to the receii-'inaj chamber Q. l,Vhen the plunger 13 is rt tracted the space in front ot said plunger. left Vacant by its backward movement., is

' .Filled by a charge ot coal troni the' bin couipartn'ients, introduced by withdrawing the sliding Valve or gate, 10 by which the iced opeifiingz,r in the top of said receiving chamber is controlled, to permit the. loose coal to'descend by gravity into the receiving chamber. By a partial or preliminary advance movenient of the plunger 13 the charge ot tresli thus introduced into the' receiving: chamber is brought into contact with the mass of coal in advance of it. and with the .surroundin Walls of the recolrinff uissaqc D D L 7 i niitted through the metal walls of the preceking passage during this compression and p By reason of the subsequently thereto.

'reat conductivity of said Walls, rapid supercial coking of the charge takes place. In a subsequent further. advance nioven'ient of the plunger the charge of coal, spperticially coked as aforesaid'.V is t'orccd'ly forwardly through the' preheating passage 3, the mass of coal in advance of thelast introduced charge being correspondingly advanced through the said passage. No advance movement of the freshly introduced charge. takes place until the superficial layer ot' coke therein thiol; enough to resist the crushing strain exerted thereon by the plunger, and permit free movement of the mass through the precoking:r passage; the surrounding layer of colte having` the characteristics ofa box fg'irder in giving rigidity to the mass. l'After the baclru'aiwl or return stroke of the plungeiua new charge of fresh coal is introduced into the receiving charm ber and is similarly forced into the preoolring passage and superticially ooked While the ortion of the mass previously advanced further heated and the layer ol coke thereon increased in thickness. The coal in the precoking passage is thus advanced intermittingly vithiu the latter and'is finally deliy Suf) Elli' dit ered tothecokmg oven. The metal walls of the precoking passage'are adapted to resist the outwardepressnre occurringin the first or preliminary movement ofthe plunger and" are so smooth asto offer a minimum amount of frictional ,resistance to the movement' of the mass therethrough. The length of said precoking passage is so proportioned with respect to the stroke of the plunger and the frequency of its advance movements that sufficient time will be given, before the advance end of the mass enters the coking oven, to insure the formation thereon of an eX- ternallayer of coke of sufiicient thickness to insure the mass retaining its form when it passes from the precoking passage into the coking retort or oven, It has been found that, under usual conditions, by an exposure for one hour, a suicieut thickness of coke will be formed on the surface of the mass to allow free movement of said mass between the metal walls of the precoking passage. rEhe mass will be advanced at each complete forward stroke of the plunger a certain part of the length of the precoking passage, the

' distance of the advance being adapted to the length of the chamber and of the oven. Assuming, for instance, that the formation of a layer of coke of required thickness Will require the application of coking heat for three hours, -the mass will be advanced onethird of the length of the passage at each stroke of the plunger.

Figs. (S and 7 show the walls of the precokiug passage with its contained mass of coal, together with the plunger 13. In Fig. (3, the plunger l-l is shown in its retracted position and thil space in front of the same partially filled with a fresh charge of coal. in Fig. 7, the plunge' 13 is shown as advanced to carry the fresh charge' of coal into the precoking passage and to compress the saine. In said Figs. and 7, A indicates the central. portion of the mass of coal and B the external layer of coke formedthereon. The dotted lines a, n* indicate the extent to which the mass of coal is advanced by eaclrstroke of the plunger. b indicates the layer of coke resulting from the action of the heat in first heating period of one hour, b1 indicates the thicker part of the layer of coke at the end of two hours, and' indicates the still thicker layer of coke produced at the end oi' thrcc hours. The formation of such external layer of coke upon the mass of coal, preparatoryY to its introduction into the coking oven, not 'only enables the mass to move freely through the precoking passage` but greatly increases the rapidity of the coking operation as a whole,

because shortening the time required for the complete eoking of the mass after it enters thr coking oven. v

For the purpose of withdrawing from the precoking passage the gases generated in the superficial coking process, the appa! ratus is illustrated as provided with devices as follows: A exit pipe Q5 is connected with the'top wall of the precoking passage, Said pipe leads upwardly through the com bust'ion chamber l5 and opens at. its upper end into a hood Said hood is connected at its upper end by a pipe QT with a tube or pipe 28 which extends across the top of the several precoking chambers and is oonnected by means of a horizontal' pipe 29 with a gas collecting main 30, by which the gases produced in tie several coking ovens are conveyed from the apparatus. Said collecting main El() is shown as connected with each of the coking chambers by means of a duct 3l provided with a valve 32- Each of the discharge pipes 27' is provided with a Avalve 33 by which'the connection between any of the precoking chambers and the collecting main may be cut off when desired. The gases driven off from the fresh fuel in the precoking chamber by the eti'ect of the lheat thereto applied, are of better quality or higher in fuel value than those generated in the coking oven itself under the higher temperature required to complete the coking operation, and for this reason an important advantage is gained by withdrawing directly from said precoking chamber, through the walls thereof, the gases therein produced, instead of permitting such gases to pass into the main coking chamber and withdrawing from said main coking chamber all of the gases generated in the apparatus.

By the preliminary heating of the coal in the bin compartments i', 7, 7, the operation of superticially coking the coal may be ef fected ina much shorter time than would otherwise be the case, it being manifest that when the coal within said bin compatn'ients is heated to a point just'belovv a coking temperature, it will, when introduced into the receiving chamber, require the transe mission thereto of only a relatively slight additional quantity of lieatfto'efl'ect supericial wiring-. p

lt is to be understood that my novel process`I in its broader aspects, may he arried out and the more important advantages of the processwill he gained when the heating of "the coal to produce superficial coking thereof is effected solely in the `p'recoking passage and no preliminary heating of the coalis effected. lt is preferred, howeverrto lsubject the fresh coal to preliminary heating before. the precoking operation, because the performance of this 'additional step in the process results in a much more rapid and economical carrying ont of the colring operation as a whole.

I claim as my invention:

l, The process of coking coal which con sists in applying noncoking heat tothe coal llO iso

to be colred7 transferring the heated coal to a precolring passage, applying pressure to one end of 'the mass of heated coal while the same is confined laterally in said passage to compress the coal and advance the mass t- Ward and into acoking retort or oven, ap-

` plying heat to the compressed mass in degree suiieient to ett'ect supericial. coking of the mass beforethe beginning of its advance movements toward 'the coking retort or oven, and applying eoking heat to the entire mass after the saine has entered said coking retort or oven.

2. The process oi' colring coa-l which oonsists in conning the mass of coal to be 'coked in a bin or receptacle, applying to the walls of said bin or receptacle non-coking heat to heat the coal therein, transferring the heated coal to a precoking passage, applying pressure to the end of the mass ot coal 1n said passage to compress the mass and advance the saine t'roin said passage into a coking retort or oven, applying heat to the Valls of said passage, in egree sufficient to effect superficial colting of the mass, before the beginning of its advance movement through said passage, and applying colring heat to.

the entire mass after the saine has entered the said colnng retort or oven. y

3. The process of coking coal which conpressure intermittingly to one end of a mass l of coal in said passage to compress the coal and advance the salne at intervals through said passage into a coking retort or oven,

applying coking heat to the Walls of said passage in degrees sufficient-to etl'ect superticial eoking of the compressed mass of coal therein during the intervals between its advance movements toward the oven. applying eoking heat to said mass ot' coal after its entrance in said coking retort or oven, Withdra'wing troni said coking retort or royen gases therein produced and Withdrawing directly from said precoking passage, through the walls thereof the gaseous products of distillation therein generated, to avoid subjecting the same to the higher temperature of the cokingoven.

In testimony', that I claim the foregoing as myl invention l aflix my signature" in the presence of two witnesses, this 19 day ot October ApD. 1907.

SAMUEL BERTRAM SHELDON.

lVitnesses:

A. C. BYANE, W. J. BRYAN. 

